6/13/16

New Sony Building to Open in 2022, Setting the Stage for the Next 50

Tokyo, Japan - Sony Corporation ("Sony") today unveiled its "Ginza Sony Park Project," a 7-year plan for completely reimagining the Sony Building, which houses the Sony Showroom in Tokyo's Ginza district. The year 2016 is a notable one for Sony, as it marks the 70thanniversary of the company's founding, as well as the 50thanniversary of the opening of the Sony Building. The reimagining of the Sony Building in Ginza is thus symbolic of the ushering in of a new era for the company. Furthermore, through this project, Sony seeks to convey its unique ability to inspire and fulfill the curiosity of people around the world, and provide them withKando-driven, emotionally compelling experiences.

After this project gets underway, the Sony Building in its current form will shut its doors on March 31, 2017*. The space will then be transformed into an open-air, communal area called the "Ginza Sony Park," which will be accessible from 2018 to 2020. During this period, the number of tourists visiting Japan is expected to increase, bringing new crowds and excitement to the streets of Tokyo. By making the Ginza Sony Park open to the public, Sony hopes to transform it into an event venue where visitors can enjoy unique Kando experiences, delivered by both Sony and others. Finally, the new, reborn Sony Building will be built on this same location, and will open its doors to the public in autumn of 2022. Sony will decide on a final concept for the new Sony Building together with local residents, business, and visitors to the Ginza Sony Park.

The original Sony Building first opened on April 29, 1966. The concept behind the Sony Building was, in the words of Sony co-founder Akio Morita, "to create not only a showroom for Sony, but also a meaningful piece of architecture unto itself, which can function as a gateway to all of Ginza." For the past 50 years, the building has been frequented and embraced by visitors from across the globe. The Ginza Sony Park Project is an embodiment of Sony's spirit of innovation and challenge that the company has cultivated over many years. The project will transform the space into one that makes possible entirely newKando experiences, and one that evolves and grows together with its surrounding community.

* Ahead of the closing of the Sony Building, the Sony Showroom and Sony Store Ginza will shut their doors on August 28, with the Sony Imaging Gallery Ginza following suit on September 8. They will then relocate to the GINZA PLACE building at the Ginza 4-chome crossing, and will reopen for business at that location there on September 24, 2016.

Comment from Keisuke Okamoto, Chairman of the All Ginza Association's GINZA Machidukuri Council

"For a full 50 years, the Sony Building has been a fixture in Ginza, which has continued to greet visitors with all things new and cutting-edge, while at the same time cherishing history and tradition. I am very grateful for the expected contribution the Ginza Sony Park Project will make to further enlivening Ginza and the whole of Tokyo, as the city readies itself to welcome an influx of new people and energy. I have high hopes that the Ginza Sony Park and the new Sony Building will become new must-visit sights in Ginza that provide people with the space and opportunity to interact with others in meaningful ways."

Comment from Kazuo Hirai, President and CEO of Sony Corporation:

"The Ginza Sony Park Project is an extremely important initiative, and a symbol of Sony's continued evolution and growth. At Sony, our spirit of innovation and challenge is founded on the principles of creating things that have never been seen before, and experiences that have never existed before. The new Sony Building will continue this legacy. The Ginza Sony Park Project is a truly 'Sony' endeavor, through which we will strive to deliver Kando and excitement to all."

New Location for the Sony Showroom and Sony Store Ginza

The Sony Showroom and Sony Store Ginza will relocate to the GINZA PLACE building at the Ginza 4-chome crossing, and will open for business at that location on September 24, 2016. The Showroom and Store will continue to provide uniquely "Sony" Kando-driven experiences that inspire the curiosity of visitors, through Sony's products - equipped with the company's latest technology innovations - and entertainment content.

Events Planned at the Sony Building

From this month until the temporary closing of the Sony Building on March 31, 2017, the Communication Zone OPUS on the Building's 8th floor will play host to talk sessions and a photo gallery retrospective on the history of the Sony Building. Additionally, once the Sony Showroom, Sony Store Ginza, and other facilities have relocated to the GINZA PLACE building, from autumn of 2016 those vacant spaces will be utilized for events that shine a spotlight on the Sony Group's past and future, and for an exhibition showcasing Sony's products that, throughout the ages, have continued to add color and life to the world.